This is a moment in our history as a nation when people are probably more open to the gospel than maybe they've been in decades. And harvest is at the right place at the right time. We've seen 1,200,000 professions of faith in the history of harvest. 10,000 people baptized through harvest since 2023.
So, this is a really good time to pour some rocket fuel on a burning fire. When you give, you're investing in this revival fire. Just go to harvest.org. We cannot overcome the devil on our own strength. You and I need to pray.
Do not lead us into temptation. But deliver us from evil. Pastor Greg Lorry reminds us: we're no match for the devil's supernatural strength, but he's no match against God Almighty. That should inform our prayers.
So when I say deliver me from temptation, I'm saying, Lord, help me to be smart and avoid those things that will bring me down. But ultimately, Lord, give me the strength I need to resist. This is the day we're going to be able to do this. In the lost are found. This is the day for a new beginning.
Amazing grace can squeeze the sound. But can you hear all the angels are singing? This is the day the day will lie in. Ever try to run up a downward escalator? It sounds silly, but kids try it all the time, just to see if they can.
When we try to fight against the lures of temptation on our own strength, we're running up a downward escalator. The momentum against us is just too much.
Well today on The New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us change escalators and embrace the power and provision of God through prayer. When we're moving in the same direction as the Spirit of God, the journey is a whole lot easier.
Now imagine if you could go to an elite university and have a class taught by the finest person in that field from all of history. For instance, you could study music under Beethoven. Have a drama class taught by Shakespeare. He taught political science by Thomas Jefferson. How about a philosophy class taught by C.S.
Lewis?
Well, we would like that because they're experts in the field. How about this? A class on prayer taught by Jesus Christ. That sounds good to me. I'd be in that class.
Who knows more about prayer than Jesus? And so that's what we're going to look at here. The disciples came to him. They said, Lord, we have a question. Would you teach us How to pray.
Jesus gave them this prayer. I'm going to be reading from Matthew 6, verses 9 to 14. And I'll tell you what, I want us all to do this out loud together. This is the New King James Version. Let's read it together.
In this manner, therefore, pray. Our Father in heaven. Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done. on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
But what does Jesus teach us in this template for prayer? When you pray, you say, Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Now, if we wrote the Lord's Prayer, it would probably sound like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Give us this day our daily bread. Let's just get down to business. Here's my list.
Now there's a place or petition. Nothing wrong with asking. the Father in heaven for what you need. But notice that Jesus says first, Take time effectively. to contemplate the greatness of God.
There are exceptions. If you fell off a ladder and you're on your way down, Help will do, okay? You can't even finish the Lord's Red. God help. But as I think about the awesomeness of God, As I contemplate the greatness and bigness of God.
It will cause me to see my problem, challenge, need. In a different light. It won't change it necessarily. But it will change my perspective. I'll see it differently because, listen to this: God is bigger than your problem.
Whatever it is, God is bigger. It's on my father. who art in heaven. Hallowed be your name, set apart be your name, honored and glorified. Be your name.
God wants us to bring our needs before him each and every day. God wants us to bring our needs before Him each and every day. Verse 11, give us this day our daily bread. What does this mean?
Well, it's obvious that bread, bread was a staple of the first century diet.
So it includes that, but bread speaks of everything. It speaks of. Your finances. It speaks of a roof over your head. It speaks of your health.
Just everything you need in life, my daily bread. And it's a reminder that everything I have in life is provided for me by God. Notice it says, give me this day my daily bread. It doesn't say, give me this month my monthly bread or this year my yearly bread. The Lord will sometimes allow things to happen in our lives that will remind us we need Him every day.
Maybe you're going through something like that right now. All of a sudden, oh wow, you have this financial crisis. All of a sudden, you have this health scare. All of a sudden, you have this problem in your marriage, or you have this problem with your kids, or you have this other problem, and it's like, God, help, that's okay.
Sometimes he'll allow these things to remind us that he's the provider and we need to come to him each and every day, not just asking for stuff, but giving him glory for the stuff he's already given. When's the last time you just prayed a prayer of thanks? Oh, Lord, thank you for this. Thank you for providing for this. Thank you for my wife.
Thank you for my husband, giving him thanks. But here's where it gets tricky. Forgive us our debts as we forgive those who are indebted to us. Wait, what? Yeah, forgive people.
Mm. But Greg. This person. They hurt me. This person bullied me.
On social media. This person insulted me. This person did something that's so horrible, I can't forgive them ever. Really? Jesus said, you better be praying.
Not only for your daily bread, but you better be praying and extending forgiveness every single day. It's a great concept, forgiveness. I love forgiveness until it's time for me to forgive someone that doesn't deserve it.
Now let's just concede the point. They don't deserve it. Therefore, I will not forgive them.
Okay, hold on now. Do you deserve forgiveness?
Well,. No?
Okay. You don't deserve forgiveness, yet God gave it to you. Why would you not extend it to another person as well? The Bible says You've been forgiven, therefore be tenderhearted, forgiving others. But listen to this.
One person put it this way: forgiveness is not about absolving the perpetrator. It's about healing the victim. Here's another statement I like. Forgiveness isn't giving into another person, it's getting free of that person. Get it?
See, in a way it's even not about that person. Let's just say, here's this person. He did this thing to me. I choose to forgive him. Doesn't deserve it.
Did it anyway? Who's getting free now? Him? Not really, but I am. Because that's not driving me crazy.
So when he walks in a room, I'm not seething over in the side. and because I've let it go. Let it go. Uh Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. Um We really enjoy hearing when Pastor Greg's teaching and preaching touches lives.
I wanted to call it and share if there has been, in the last six months, I found Pastor Greg's messages very helpful. But one time, I guess it was about 4:30 in the morning, and I was going through, guess what you'd say, a breakup, and I kind of prayed out loud. I said, Lord, I feel abandoned. And I then had turned on the radio. And my time is when Pastor Greg's message comes on, and then he was talking about how God does not abandon us.
And it was just really comforting, really helpful to listen to that message, hope in that. And I was actually able to pass it on to a number of other people who were also going through some difficult transitions.
So I just wanted to share that. Thank you so much. If you have a story to share, why not call us and give us all the details? Here's the number: 1-866-871-1144. Again, that's 866-871-1144.
Well, today, Pastor Greg is offering practical help toward a more productive prayer life based on the Lord's Prayer. And our thanks to our harvest partners and others who support this ministry. for helping to make today's insight possible. My last point, we cannot overcome the devil in our own strength. We cannot overcome the devil in our own strength.
Verse 4. Do not lead us into temptation. but deliver us from evil. A better translation of this would be: Deliver us from the evil one. And that would be Lucifer or the Devil.
We cannot completely remove ourselves from temptation, otherwise, we would have to leave the entire planet. And even if you did that, let's say you got into one of those spaceships that Elon Musk is building. And you're in space. I'm free. Oh, you get tempted in space too.
Walking around on the moon, you'll still have bad thoughts. Come on. It's going to follow you wherever you go.
So the point of it is... is that I need God's help. Really, what I'm praying is, Lord, don't allow me to walk into a situation that would overwhelm me and cause me to sin, but deliver me from temptation and any trap the devil has set for me. It's really an acknowledgement of human weakness. One passage I memorized.
as a very young man. I still remember today. It's 1 Corinthians 10.13, and it says, Might have forgot it. Uh no I did. You were hoping I did though, didn't weren't you?
Well now I have forgotten it. No I haven't. 1 Corinthians 10, 13, there is no temptation taking you. but such as is common to man. But God who is faithful Will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it.
Allow me to loosely paraphrase it. There's always a way out. of every temptation. How many of you have ever been tempted to sin? Raise your hand.
Okay. How many of you have ever given in to that temptation? Raise your hand.
Okay, well you're a wicked bunch of people. What's going on? I'm kidding.
So we've given in. But there was always a way out. Wasn't there? And if you're honest, the way I was sometimes as simple as the door. I need to walk out of this door.
And it will be better. It'd be like if you drive by Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. I've eaten six in one city. Really? Here we go.
Am I the only one? How many of you have eaten six Krispy Kreme donuts? Raise your hand.
Okay, okay. You're as bad as me. How many of you have eaten more than six fish?
Now I'm doing it to you. Uh-huh. Hmm. They're good though. Aren't they good?
They're good going down. I mean, they literally melt in your mouth. Add some cold milk. Yeah. But they're not so good after they've been sitting in your stomach.
I went there a while ago with some friends. And actually a couple of years ago, we were on motorcycles and I ate six and milk. And literally, I'm on my motorcycle at night, it's freezing, and I feel like I'm falling asleep. I'm in a food coma. Because there's the sugar spike and then the sugar crash, right?
Okay. This is like sin. Apologies to Krispy Kreme. I don't want letters from attorneys. Your donuts are awesome, okay?
But that's the problem. They're nice going down, but afterwards it's like, what was I thinking? Then you get in your scale and it breaks.
Okay, that's not a good sign. There was a way out. I didn't have to say, pull the car over, get out of the car, walk in, but they always give you the first one free. They know you'll get hooked. They're smart over there at Krispy Kream.
There's always a way out of every temptation you face. Don't tell me you can't get out of the trap you're in. Don't tell me you can't get out of that immoral relationship. Don't tell me you can't stop looking at porn. Don't tell me you can't control your temper.
Don't tell me you can stop drinking or stop using drugs or whatever it is you're doing. Don't tell me that because you can, and there's a way out if you want to take the way out. But then we'll say, I can't. I'm just, the devil got hold of me. The devil made me do it.
The devil's powerful, but he needs your cooperation.
So, when I say deliver me from temptation, I'm saying, Lord, help me to be smart and avoid those things that will bring me down. But ultimately, Lord, give me the strength I need to resist. Jesus gave us this template for prayer to encourage us to pray. And the reason I chose this message today. In particular, I just want to remind you.
You need to pray about everything. Just pray about everything. Get into a habit of prayer. You know, we make prayer very formal.
Well, it's time to ask the blessing.
Sometimes it's even like You know, so oh. You know, the foods are no one's eating. No one asks the blessing. Oh, everybody stop. Your mouth is full.
And then you pray there. It's like you messed up. You didn't pray the little token prayer. I'm not saying that's a bad thing to give thanks, but we get hung up, it becomes a rule. Or we pray with our kids before they go to bed.
These are all good things, but we need to expand way beyond that. And we need to get into a lifestyle of prayer.
So, when that burden hits me, right then I pray. When I'm driving down the road and something comes to me, troubles me, concerns me, I just turn it into a prayer, right? Just keep your eyes open, you're driving. But Philippians 4 says, Don't worry about anything, pray about everything, and the peace of God that passes all human understanding will guard, protect your mind in Christ Jesus. Pray, cry out to God in your sorrow and pain.
Call on the Lord for His provision, His protection, and His guidance. And give thanks to the Lord. for your joys in His provision. Let me loop back to something I said earlier. I want to keep talking about Krispy Kreme donuts.
No, I don't. And done with those. I want to loop back to that statement of Jesus: forgive us our debts as we forgive those who are indebted to us. That's an interesting word, debts. You think it just says, forgive us our sins, and it is translated that way in some.
translations. But dense is a really Apropos word. That is chosen here because the word that Jesus uses here for forgive means to cancel, a debt. Specifically. Sin is a debt, and it is a debt I can't pay.
Vilak, if you found out you owed the IRS $5 million. And you had 10 bucks in your account. There's no way you can pay that debt. Will you owe all these things because of your sin, because of our sin?
So I'm saying, Lord. Pay my debt. Pay my debt right now and that's exactly what he did on the cross The Bible says he canceled the debt that you owed at the cross. And as I've often said, He came to pay a debt he did not owe. because we owed a debt we could not pay.
But he settled it. At the cross. Everything's paid for. Another way this is sometimes translated is trespasses. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
That's a good translation as well. You know the word trespass?
Sometimes you see it maybe in a park. They just planted some grass and they have a little cord there and a sign hanging off of it: no trespassing. They don't want you to be stomping on their new grass. And so when I trespass, I'm breaking a commandment. I'm crossing a line.
Listen, every one of us has crossed that line. Every one of us have sinned. Every one of us needs Jesus. And I wanna close by asking you this. Have you asked him to forgive you of your sin?
Only the Christian. Only the child of God can say, My Father who art in heaven.
Now, if you're a non-believer, you can say God up there somewhere. But for me, for us He's our Father. And that's because of what Jesus did. After Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the dead, he appeared to Mary Magdalene there at the tomb, and he said, I am going to go to my father and to your father, to my God and your God. Oh, wait.
Now it's not just that Jesus calls him father, you can call him father too. Because of relationship. Only through Christ. Have you asked Jesus to forgive you of your sin? Are you still bound by the power of sin?
Are you trapped by some vice, some addiction, whatever it is? The root of it is sin. It may express itself in other ways, but the root is sin. Only Christ can break the power of sin in your life, and He can do it for you right here, right now. But you have to reach out to him and say, God, help me.
Lord, I know I've sinned. I'm sorry. I turn from it, Jesus. Rescue me. Come into my life and forgive me of all of my sin.
And that can happen for you as well. Because Jesus who died on the cross rose again from the dead three days later. And he's right here right now. standing at the door of your life and he is knocking. And he is saying, if you hear his voice and open the door, he will come in.
Would you like Jesus to come into your life? Would you like to know God as your Father? Would you like Your sin forgiven today, it can happen. Let's all pray together. Father, I ask you to speak to the hearts here.
and those that are listening wherever they are. Help them to see their need for you. Help them to come to you. Help them to believe in you. Right now we ask.
Amen. Pastor Greg Laurie with an important prayer. And if you'd like to make a change today in your relationship with the Lord, Pastor Gregg will help you do that in just a moment before today's edition of A New Beginning concludes. Are you receiving Pastor Gregg's daily devotions? They're a great way to start your day with extra insight and inspiration.
Sign up for his devotions today at harvest.org. And then, Pastor Gregg, just before we go, would you mind praying with the person listening who wants to make a change today in their relationship with the Lord? I'd be happy to, Dave. You know, as you've been listening to this today, Maybe you've heard another voice. By that I mean, yeah, you heard me say a few things, but you heard God's voice speak to you.
Deep in the recesses of your heart, and it suddenly dawned on you: this is what I need, or to state it more accurately, this is who I need. I need Jesus and I want Jesus, but maybe you don't know how to make that connection. Let me help you. God is only a prayer way. He stands at the door of your heart and he knocks.
And Jesus says, If you'll hear his voice and open the door, he'll come in. Let me help you open the door, so to speak, of your heart as you invite Jesus to be your Savior and Lord.
So he's. Here's what I would like you to do. I'd like you to stop what you're doing. And I want you to pray a prayer after me. I'll lead you in this prayer.
And as you pray it, God will hear you. Pray this after me right now if you want Jesus Christ to come into your life. Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner. and I am sorry for my sin. and I need your forgiveness right now.
Would you come into my heart, my life, as saviour As God As friend? I choose to follow you from this moment forward. Thank you for calling me. and accepting me And forgiving me. In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen. I know that was a relatively short prayer. Maybe you felt something as you prayed it. Maybe you felt nothing. That doesn't really matter.
Because God's Word says, These things we write to you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. It doesn't say, so you may think you have it, or you may hope you have it if God's in a good mood. No, that you can know it. And I want you to know, if you pray that prayer in a minute, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has come into your life.
So congratulations. You're now a Christian.
Now continue to follow the Lord. Yeah, and to help you, we'd like to send you something that'll help you build a strong foundation for your faith. It's Pastor Gregg's popular New Believer's Bible. It'll answer many of the questions you might have and get you started off right in your new relationship with the Lord.
So get in touch and ask for it. We'll send it free of charge. Call us at 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call any time. That's 1-800-821-3300.
Or write us at a new beginning, box 4000. Riverside, California, 92514. or go online to harvest.org and click Know God. You know, Pastor Gregg, we hear from people all the time who tell us how these daily studies have impacted their lives.
So many have found the Lord and been encouraged through this teaching. That's right. And we hope our listeners might pray about making an investment so these studies can continue. Yeah, it's really true, Dave. You know, and even a little bit helps.
You know, people need to hear the gospel so badly. They need to hear the teaching of the word of God. It changes everything because it changes us. And I'm so passionate about it, and I'm called to do it, and I'm thankful for it. But I can't do it alone.
So I'm going to ask folks that are listening: if you think more people need to hear the gospel. If you believe more people need to hear the teaching of the Word of God, then Carefully consider investing in harvest ministries and maybe even become a harvest partner. Which means you're someone who stands with us every month in your faithful giving. And that opens up a lot of new opportunities for us.
So thanks for that. Yeah, that's right. And we really are thankful for your partnership. You can reach us any time day or night at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300.
Or write a new beginning box 4000. Riverside, California 92514, or just go online to harvest.org. Uh Well next time, travel with us to Spokane, Washington. As Pastor Greg speaks to an enthusiastic audience about sharing the love of the Lord, Jesus style. Join us here on A New Beginning with pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie.
This is a day, the day when life begins.
